51乱伦

As a former agricultural bank manager and now broker for , I always enjoy working with rural businesses that think outside the box and really make the most out of their assets.

One such client exemplifies this approach, having created multiple income streams, and has helped de-risk his family鈥檚 600-acre Somerset farming business while making it more profitable and environmentally friendly.

If you鈥檝e been to Glastonbury, Notting Hill Carnival or any number of other music festivals recently and taken a comfort break, there鈥檚 a good chance that you鈥檝e come into close contact with one of George Portch鈥檚 business diversification projects.

Using a livestock yard surplus to agricultural requirements on one of the family鈥檚 three farms, George has built what he believes to be the UK鈥檚 largest composting toilet business virtually from scratch.

He now has 1,400 custom-designed and built units on standby for events looking for an environmentally and user-friendly option for visitors needing to relieve themselves. The waste, which George鈥檚 team also collects during the festivals, is turned into compost on the farm. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a virtuous circle,鈥� he laughs.

Festivals across the UK continue to grow in popularity and their compost toilets are now in high demand.

As well as the composting toilet business, a well-stocked farm shop and butchery sells a wide range of products, many of which are created using meat from the farm鈥檚 250 head of cattle. There is also a mobile hog roast and catering business for local shows.

George says farmers today need to 鈥渃onstantly innovate and look to maximise their margins to create a sustainable business.鈥�

That鈥檚 why he鈥檚 installed a robotic milking parlour to service his 160 crossbred cows and has just switched to an organic milk contract that pays a decent premium. But the latest new income stream that George is nurturing, which promises to be his most lucrative yet, is something entirely new.

George with his organic dairy herd in Somerset.

Proving that it is possible to produce food, benefit the environment and boost the bottom line, 160 acres of the farm are being entered into a Biodiversity Net Gain scheme.

This could potentially generate several million pounds of revenue over its lifetime, as well as facilitating the construction of much-needed new homes in the area.

The scheme, which will revolve around the restoration of species-rich grassland, works well with George鈥檚 organic livestock business, and means one block of land will be delivering multiple income streams. 鈥淲ith a bit of creative thinking, it鈥檚 amazing how many different activities you can combine in a relatively small space,鈥� he says.

Banks and other lending institutions are under increasing pressure to 鈥済reen鈥� and 鈥渄ecarbonise鈥� their loan books, so are always keen to work with farmers like George who are delivering measurable environmental benefits.

To read more articles on farming and our rural clients, download or request a printed copy of the latest edition of The Rural Report below.